Ukraine war live: Russia launches deadly drone attack on Kyiv ahead of ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia
Russia launches deadly drone attack on Kyiv ahead of ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
At least three people were killed, including a five-year-old child, after Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine’s Kyiv city military administration gave the casualty figures and said at least 10 other people were injured, with the drones causing several fires throughout the city.
Two residential buildings in the district of Dnipro caught fire due to falling drone debris, while a fire broke out on the top floors of a 9-storey building in the capital, killing one woman, officials said.
“Today, the Russians are once again demonstrating their ‘desire for peace,’” Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said.
“In reality, terrorists are simply launching deadly weapons at residential buildings.”
The attack came ahead of scheduled ceasefire talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia later today, which are to be led by Andrew Peek of the national security council and Michael Anton of the state department.
After US officials meet the Ukrainians this evening, they will meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Reuters reports. Ukrainian officials are expected to be at the talks involving US and Russian officials but would not be in the same room as the Russians.
At the talks, the Ukrainian delegation is expected to supply a list of energy infrastructure that would be off-limits for strikes by the Russian military.
Russian and US experts will also discuss ways to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, the Kremlin has said.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy have already agreed to a partial ceasefire covering energy and civilian infrastructure – but both Moscow and Kyiv have accused the other of violating the agreement.
Key events
Russian shelling kills three people in Pokrovsk – governor
Russian shelling killed three people on Saturday in the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk, the regional governor confirmed in a Telegram post this morning.
Pokrovsk has been under attack for months as the former mining city in the eastern Donetsk region is seen as a strategically important logistics hub.
But Ukraine’s military has reported success in recent weeks in holding back Russian forces in the area.
On Saturday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where he met commanders of drone units near Pokrovsk.
“I visited the command post of the Tactical Group Pokrovsk and met with the commanders of the Drone Line, which united the finest unmanned systems units of the armed forces of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on X.
“I received a report on the defense of the Pokrovsk direction, the operational situation, and the progress of the missions. I honored our warriors with state awards.”
Here are some of the latest images coming out of the Kyiv following the deadly Russian drone attacks launched overnight:
Russia’s ministry of defence said earlier today it had shot down 59 Ukrainian drones across a number of regions in the south, and in Crimea, which is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, despite Russia’s illegal annexation of it in 2014.
Russian forces launched 147 drones overnight across Ukraine and the country’s air defence shot down 97 drones, Ukraine’s air force has reported. The previous day, the air defence shot down 100 drones launched by Moscow, and 114 drones the day before that.
The Kremlin said last week it had agreed to a US-proposed partial ceasefire, with Vladimir Putin agreeing to halt strikes on Ukrainian energy targets for 30 days, after a lengthy phone call with US President Donald Trump.
Despite the announcement, which was made as officials work towards a more comprehensive deal, Russian missile and drone attacks against Ukraine have continued.
My colleague Pjotr Sauer has written this useful explainer on when the ceasefire is expected to take effect and what happens if Russia or Ukraine breaks their word.
Russia launches deadly drone attack on Kyiv ahead of ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
At least three people were killed, including a five-year-old child, after Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine’s Kyiv city military administration gave the casualty figures and said at least 10 other people were injured, with the drones causing several fires throughout the city.
Two residential buildings in the district of Dnipro caught fire due to falling drone debris, while a fire broke out on the top floors of a 9-storey building in the capital, killing one woman, officials said.
“Today, the Russians are once again demonstrating their ‘desire for peace,’” Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said.
“In reality, terrorists are simply launching deadly weapons at residential buildings.”
The attack came ahead of scheduled ceasefire talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia later today, which are to be led by Andrew Peek of the national security council and Michael Anton of the state department.
After US officials meet the Ukrainians this evening, they will meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Reuters reports. Ukrainian officials are expected to be at the talks involving US and Russian officials but would not be in the same room as the Russians.
At the talks, the Ukrainian delegation is expected to supply a list of energy infrastructure that would be off-limits for strikes by the Russian military.
Russian and US experts will also discuss ways to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, the Kremlin has said.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy have already agreed to a partial ceasefire covering energy and civilian infrastructure – but both Moscow and Kyiv have accused the other of violating the agreement.
